


A Very Barba Christmas

by blk0912



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Christmas, F/M, barson family fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:54:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27931819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blk0912/pseuds/blk0912
Summary: Rafael, Olivia, and their family prepare for Christmas and reflect on the past year of their lives.
Relationships: Noah Porter Benson & Olivia Benson, Rafael Barba & Noah Porter Benson, Rafael Barba/Olivia Benson
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14
Collections: Barson Secret Santa 2020





	A Very Barba Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Hasbleidy](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Hasbleidy).



> This is my barson secret Santa gift for the always amazing Hasbleidy. 
> 
> Her prompt requests included romantic Barson Christmas with kids. Hope you enjoy this, mi amiga! I hope you know how much I appreciate all of your Spanish help as well (and special thanks to Sandra for helping me with the Spanish in this fic. Hasbleidy sort of helped, too, but when I originally asked her for the phrase I used, it was for another fic)
> 
> This isn't technically set in any particular universe that I've already created, but Miranda from Trivia Night (and other stories) is in included in this one.

* * *

“Rafa, have you seen the Christmas decorations?” Olivia asked her husband as she walked into the kitchen. 

Rafael looked up from the four cups of hot chocolate he was preparing. “I thought we put them in the hall closet.”

“Will you help me look? The kids really want to decorate the tree.”

“Of course,  _ mi amor _ ,” Rafael answered, following her into the hallway that led to their home office, and spare bathroom and bedroom. 

* * *

When they arrived at the closet in question, Olivia opened the door and looked up at the shelf. “No Christmas decorations,” she said, pointing to the two boxes labeled ‘spare sheets’ and ‘spare towels’.

Rafael frowned. When they’d moved into the new apartment a few months back, he could have sworn they put the Christmas decorations in this closet. “I wonder…” he said, walking into the home office.

“Why would we have put them in here?” Olivia asked as she followed him.

Rafael shrugged. “No idea, but this is my next guess. Maybe we moved them when we unpacked the new sheets and towels?”

“It’s worth a shot, I guess. I really don’t want to have to buy all new Christmas decorations. The new lights for the tree and letting the kids pick out some new ornaments was bad enough.”

Rafael chuckled as he opened the closet door. “If we have to get new ones, I’ll call Mami and see if she can watch the kids. But I don’t think it’ll come to that.”

“Why not?”

“Because we  _ did _ move the decorations in here,” Rafael answered, handing her the first box before picking up the second one and shutting the closet door.

* * *

“Ready to decorate,  _ mijos _ ?” Rafael asked as he and Olivia entered the living room.

“You found them!” Noah exclaimed, jumping up from the puzzle he’d been working on with his sister.

“Daddy is very smart,” Miranda said with a grin for her father, giggling when he winked at her. 

“Should we decorate the tree first or save it for last?” Olivia asked them.

Noah looked over at Miranda and then turned back to their parents. “First. Miranda wants to play music while we decorate, too.”

“That can be arranged,” Rafael replied, taking out his phone and connecting it to the nearby bluetooth speakers before bringing up and beginning to play the Christmas playlist they had all made together a few days prior.

“¡ _ Musica _ !” Miranda exclaimed with a smile, running over to her father and wrapping her arms around his waist as she hugged him tightly.

Rafael chuckled as he bent and lifted Miranda into his arms. “Are you ready to decorate now,  _ mi corazoncito _ ?” 

Miranda grinned and nodded, but then turned solemn. “I don’t know how, though.”

“You never decorated a tree?” Noah asked.

Miranda shook her head, tears forming in her eyes as she laid her head on Rafael’s shoulder. 

“We’ll teach you,” Olivia assured, reaching over and rubbing a hand up and down her back in an attempt to soothe her. 

“We’re missing Eddie and Lovey!” Noah suddenly gasped, before quickly running down the hall to retrieve said stuffed animals. When he reappeared, Miranda reached for her beloved stuffed bear, hugging it close when Noah handed it to her.

“You know this is the first time in years I’ve decorated a tree?” Rafael told her.

“Really?” she asked.

“Yes. I didn’t have one the last few years. I had a hard time finding my Christmas spirit. Now I have you, Noah, and your mom. I think Mom and Noah might have to help me, too. Refresh my memory.”

Miranda lifted her head and looked over at her mother. “Mommy?” 

Olivia ran a hand over her daughter’s hair. “I’ll help you  _ and _ your dad, sweet girl. I promise. Are you ready to start?”

Miranda nodded. Still holding tight to Lovey, she turned to her brother with a questioning look. 

“Lights first,” Noah told her. “Right, Mom?”

“Right,” Olivia agreed. “We have to test them to make sure they work before we put them on the tree, though.”

“We didn’t do that last year.”

Olivia laughed as she reached for the box of lights. “No, we didn’t. We almost had half of the tree unlit.”

“Almost?” Rafael asked.

“Found a bad bulb. Luckily, I had an extra one.”

“Gotta watch out for those bad bulbs.”

Olivia rolled her eyes and shoved his shoulder. “Shut up, Rafa.”

Rafael reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close. “You know you love me.”

“Sometimes I wonder why.”

Rafael gave his wife his best hurt look. “That hurts, Livia.”

Olivia laughed, leaning over to press a quick kiss to his lips. “I’m sorry. I  _ do _ love you.”

“That’s better.”

“Daddy, lights!” Miranda insisted, holding out the second box of lights. 

“Sorry,  _ mija _ ,” Rafael apologized, smirking at Olivia as he took the box from their daughter.

* * *

After drinking their hot chocolate and testing the lights, Rafael and Noah strung them while Olivia and Miranda took out the ornaments. 

“¡ _ Una estrella _ !” Miranda gasped excitedly when she saw the tree topper. 

“We have to save that for last, sweet girl,” Olivia said, gently trying to take the item from her daughter.

“No! ¡ _ Mi estrella _ !” 

“You can have it back when we’re ready for it,” Olivia promised. Spying Lovey and Eddie on the couch, she turned back to Miranda. “How about we let Eddie and Lovey hold onto it? They’ll keep it safe.”

Miranda reluctantly handed the star over to her mother and then watched as she set it between the two stuffed animals. Satisfied that the star was safe, she went back to searching through the ornaments. 

“Miranda,  _ escucha _ , it plays a song,” Noah said, holding up a carousel ornament and pressing a button on the bottom. 

Looking at her brother, Miranda grinned when she heard the music. “Again?” she asked when it had finished playing. 

“Press the button on the bottom,” Noah instructed. 

Reaching over, Miranda did as her brother had said, grinning again when she heard the music play.

“Time to put that one on the tree now,” Olivia told them. “We have a lot more ornaments to hang.”

Both kids nodded, Noah walking toward the tree and Miranda going back to looking through the ornaments. 

* * *

As they were getting ready to put the star on top of the tree, Rafael announced he had one more ornament for the tree and disappeared into his and Olivia’s bedroom. When he returned, he handed his wife the ornament. 

“Rafa,” Olivia said, tears forming in her eyes as she looked at it. She traced her fingers over each of the faces she loved so much and on the inscription on the bottom.

“It’s an early Christmas present from the squad. Amanda gave it to me yesterday and said they all wanted you to have it now.”

Olivia nodded, smiling through her tears at the picture of her, Rafael, Miranda, and Noah sitting together on the couch in their living room. Under the picture, it simply said ‘The Barbas’. 

“I wanna see, Mommy,” Miranda insisted. 

Olivia knelt down so both kids could see the ornament. 

“Can I hang it on the tree?” Noah asked. 

“Sure, sweet boy,” Olivia replied. “Then Miranda can put the star on the top.”

Noah smiled and nodded, carefully taking the ornament from his mother. After finding a spot at the front of the tree, he hung the ornament and then turned back to his parents and sister for approval.

“Looks good,  _ mijo _ ,” Rafael replied, reaching out to run a hand over his hair.

“Good choice, sweet boy,” Olivia said. “I’m pretty sure Miranda likes it, too, she’s just a little distracted right now.”

Noah looked over at his sister, who had now retrieved the star from the care of Eddie and Lovey. 

“¿ _ Ya podemos poner la estrella _ , Daddy _? ¿Porfis, porfis, porfis _ ?” Miranda asked, practically vibrating with excitement.

Rafael chuckled as he walked over and scooped her up into his arms. “ _ Sí, mi corazoncito, [it’s time for the star now] _ ”

Olivia pulled Noah into her side as she watched Rafael press a loud kiss to Miranda’s cheek, making the little girl giggle, before lifting her up so she could place the star at the top of the tree. 

“What do you think?” Rafael asked them.

“It’s perfect,” Olivia replied. 

After setting Miranda back on her feet, Rafael plugged in the star and smiled when it lit up. 

“More decorating now?” Miranda asked.

Rafael glanced at his watch. “After lunch.”

Both kids reluctantly agreed, going back to their puzzle while the adults went to prepare lunch.

* * *

“Did you know Miranda has never decorated a tree before?” Rafael asked as he began preparing the ingredients for his mother’s chicken soup. 

Olivia shook her head as she took a seat at their breakfast bar. “No idea. The group home never mentioned anything about it. Just that she’d been back and forth between the group home and a few different foster families. We had the tree decorated by the time we got her last year.”

Rafael nodded. “I remember,” he said before lifting his head and smiling at his wife. “She wasn’t exactly a planned addition to our little family.”

Olivia laughed softly. “No, she wasn’t, but she’s ours now and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Neither would I.”

“Even though she has you wrapped around her finger?”

Rafael sighed. “Even then.”

“How many presents did you buy her this year?”

“I’m not telling.”

Olivia laughed. “Did you buy the entire toy store?”

“Don’t be so dramatic, Livia.”

In response, Olivia simply raised her eyebrow at him. “I  _ know _ you. When it comes to me and the kids, you’re a complete pushover.”

Rafael glared at her before resuming his soup preparation. “I think I only bought about a quarter of the store,” he mumbled as he turned to start putting the ingredients in the pot on the stove. He was surprised to feel arms wrap around his waist and a chin rest on his shoulder a few seconds later. 

“I love you, Rafael Barba.”

Rafael smiled, turning his head to capture her lips with his. “I love you, too, Olivia Barba.”

Olivia brushed her lips with his once more before reluctantly releasing him and going back to her chair. She opened her mouth to speak again, but Rafael beat her to it.

“Maybe I’m going a little overboard...it’s just...we have the money to give them the things they not only need but also want. I was afraid to even  _ ask _ for much of anything as a kid...and that’s not the kind of childhood I want for  _ our _ kids. I want them to have it better than we did.”

Olivia felt her heart swell at Rafael’s words. “They do, Rafa,” she assured him. “They know that we love them and we will always take care of them. I hope they know that they can ask us for things, and even if we say no, or not right now, we’re not going to hurt them, that we would  _ never _ hurt them.”

“I’d  _ never _ lay a hand on them or treat them the way my father treated Mami and me.”

“You’re a better man than your father could have ever hoped to be.”

Rafael sent her the half-smile that she was convinced he knew made her stomach do flips. “I do my best.”

“Just don’t burn our soup. I’ve been looking forward to this for  _ days _ .”

Rafael laughed, turning back to check on the soup. “Are you going to make the sandwiches then so I don’t get distracted and do just that?”

Olivia shrugged and slid off of her chair again. “Sure. What kind are we making?”

“How about grilled cheese?”

“Sounds perfect.”

* * *

After lunch, the four Barbas returned to the living room and opened the second box of Christmas decorations. Miranda quickly chose the strings of Christmas symbols-alternating between presents, Santa, and candy canes while Noah chose some garland to hang above their fireplace. Once they had hung both of those, they went back to the box in search of the stockings.

“Found them!” Noah exclaimed, handing Miranda hers before holding up his own.

“Good job,  _ mijo _ ,” Rafael said, reaching into the box for his and Olivia’s. Turning to Miranda, he asked his next question. “Should we hang yours up first,  _ corazoncito _ ?”

Miranda grinned and nodded, reaching into the box for a stocking holder and then handing it to her father. She stood by his side vibrating with excitement. While she had been with her parents and brother last year, she hadn’t been a Barba yet and they had already had everything done by the time she came to live with them. This was the first year she was getting to really participate in any Christmas traditions and she was loving every minute of it. 

“I think it’s ready,  _ mija _ ,” she heard her father say before lifting her so she could hang the stocking. 

“Done!” she said with a grin after being set back on her feet.

“Can I hang mine next?” Noah asked.

“Of course, sweet boy,” Olivia replied before turning to Miranda. “Come here to Mommy, sweet girl, so Noah can hang his stocking.”

Miranda did as her mother asked, wrapping her arms around the older woman’s waist when she got close. Bending, Olivia handed her stocking to the little girl. “Do you think you could hang my stocking for me?”

Miranda smiled and nodded. “Noah hang up Daddy’s stocking?” she asked.

“Can I, Dad?” Noah added.

“Sure,  _ mi tiburoncito _ , you can hang mine up.”

* * *

Once the stockings had been hung up, and some more decorations added to the fireplace mantle, Noah looked in the box for the decorations he knew to be missing and frowned when he didn’t see it.

“Where’s the nativity that  _ Abuelita _ gave us?” he asked, looking between his parents. “And the snow globes?”

Rafael and Olivia exchanged confused looks before the former volunteered to go look. 

“I’m afraid we did some reorganizing after we first moved in and kind of forgot about it,” Olivia explained with a shrug and a smile. “I’m sure Dad will find what we’re looking for, though.”

“Will we see  _ Abuelita _ soon?” Miranda asked. In her opinion, it had been too long since she’d seen her grandmother.

“She’s coming over for dinner tonight. She’s excited to see all the decorations.”

“ _ Abuelito _ , too?” 

Olivia smiled and nodded. “Yes,  _ Abuelito _ will be here, too.”

* * *

A short while later, Rafael reappeared in the living room with two small boxes. 

“I found them,” he announced, setting them down on the coffee table. 

“Noah and I will set up the nativity while you and Miranda set up the snow globes,” Olivia decided as she opened the first box. 

“Ready to help some more?” Rafael asked his daughter. 

Miranda grinned and nodded, holding one of the snow globes carefully as she contemplated where to put it. 

* * *

“Rafi, it all looks wonderful,” Lucia commented as she and Javier walked into the apartment later that night. 

“Noah and Miranda were a big help,” Rafael said, leaning in to press a kiss to her cheek and then moving to exchange a hug with the man he considered his  _ real _ father.

“Speaking of  _ nuestros nietos _ , where are they?” Javier asked.

“In the living room with Liv.”

“¡ _ Abuelita _ ! ¡ _ Abuelito _ !” 

Turning his head, Rafael saw his daughter running at full speed towards his parents, who both bent and caught her in their arms. 

“She’s been asking for you both all afternoon,” he revealed.

“We missed you, too,  _ corazoncito _ ,” Lucia told her granddaughter, pressing a kiss to her head. “Will you show me your decorations?”

Miranda smiled and nodded, taking a hand of each of her grandparents and leading them down the hall, chattering away about the different decorations as they walked. Rafael chuckled and shook his head as he followed them.

* * *

“Mommy! Daddy! ¡ _ Es Navidad _ ! _ Hoy es Navidad _ !” 

Rafael opened his eyes and reached for his phone. Squinting at the bright light of the screen, he was able to make out the time. Six am. Sighing, he placed the phone back on the bedside table and reached for his daughter. 

“Miranda,  _ mija _ ,  _ es temprano _ ,” he told her.

“ _Pero_ _es Navidad_ ,” she replied, eliciting laughter from Olivia.

“Let her be excited,” Olivia said, reaching over and running her hand over Miranda’s hair.

Miranda tilted her head and regarded her father carefully. Brown eyes met green. “You love me?”

Rafael sighed. He hated that question. He couldn’t say no, but it usually led to her asking for something else, which he also couldn’t refuse. “ _ Sí, mi corazoncito, te amo mucho _ .”

“Then you’ll make me bear pancakes?”

“Okay, but you have to finish eating breakfast  _ before _ you open any presents.”

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

“I’ll go see if Noah awake,” Olivia said, climbing out of bed. “You two go start the pancakes.”

Rafael held Miranda close as he got out of bed and began walking towards the kitchen. “So, bear pancakes, huh?”

Miranda held Lovey close as she laid her head on her father’s shoulder. “Please, Daddy. Noah likes them, too.”

Rafael chuckled, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Noah likes pancakes in general. It doesn’t matter what shape they’re in.”

“That means he likes bear pancakes.”

“I suppose it does.”

* * *

Sitting on the couch, Olivia looked up when Rafael walked into the room and handed her a cup of coffee before taking a seat next to her. The kids were currently sorting through the presents, something Rafael had tasked them with while he made coffee for himself and Olivia. 

“Done!” Noah announced a few minutes later. 

“Did you two decide who is opening a present first?” Rafael asked.

“Miranda can go first.”

Miranda reached over and hugged her brother tightly, eliciting laughter from both of their parents, before choosing her first present and quickly tearing away the wrapping paper. 

“Maybe next year we should just put everything in bags. It’d be easier,” Rafael remarked as they watched the kids open their presents.

Olivia poked him in the side. “Hush. They love ripping open the wrapping paper. It’s half the fun. Plus, it’s great for creating little balls to throw at you.”

“What are we, twelve?” 

Olivia laughed, lightly tossing a ball of wrapping paper at him. “Says the man who had a wrapping paper fight with his younger sister last year.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about...and she started it.”

Olivia rolled her eyes at him, laughing when Miranda walked over and stuck a bow to his shirt. 

“ _ Gracias _ ,  _ mija _ ,” he muttered, causing Miranda to giggle before she hugged him quickly and then went back to her presents. 

“Can we build Lego now?” Noah asked excitedly as he rushed over a few minutes later.

“You need to clean up your puzzle first,” Rafael answered, nodding toward the coffee table. 

“It’s Miranda’s puzzle.”

“But you were helping her with it,” Olivia reminded him. “So you both need to clean it up.”

Noah sighed, but did as his parents instructed. Once he and Miranda had cleaned up and put away the puzzle, he turned back to his father. “ _ Now _ can we build Lego?”

Rafael chuckled, pressing a kiss to Olivia’s temple before taking the box from his son and opening it to reveal the new Lego set he’d gotten. Seeing Miranda looking through one of the new books she’d gotten, Olivia set her coffee on the side table and then walked over to sit beside the little girl.

“Should we read the book together?” she asked.

Miranda looked over at her and smiled, handing her the book before scooting closer and leaning into her side as she began to read. “There were ten in the bed and the little one said ‘roll over, roll over!’...” 

* * *

A little while later, while Miranda was distracted by her new shapes game and Noah by his Lego, Rafael looked over at his wife, smiling at her when he caught her eye. Soon, they were back to cuddling together on the couch. 

“Thank you for my family,” Rafael said softly. 

Olivia kissed him softly. “You don’t need to thank me, Rafa.”

“You’re the only one I could ever see myself having a family with.”

“Then it’s a good thing you finally mustered up the courage to ask me out.”

Rafael chuckled, leaning over to kiss her again. “I was so scared you’d say ‘no’.”

Olivia framed his face with her hands. “If  _ you _ hadn’t asked  _ me _ that night,  _ I _ was going to ask  _ you _ ,” she reminded him. 

“Well  _ you _ picked the restaurant. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say ‘no’ so quickly as when I suggested Forlini’s that night.”

Olivia laughed, leaning over to kiss him again before dropping her hands. “Forlini’s will always be special, but I wanted to go somewhere else for our first official date.”

“Then you surprised me again by choosing  _ Por La Noche _ .”

“I had been wanting to go there forever, but couldn’t bring myself to do it unless  _ you _ were with me. I knew it would be the perfect date spot for us.”

“It was,” Rafael agreed. “But I would have been perfectly happy with Forlini’s. I just wanted to be with  _ you _ .”

“It’s been less than two years since then and now we’re married with two kids.”

“Any regrets?”

Olivia smiled and shook her head. “None whatsoever. We were meant to be together, to be parents to both Noah and Miranda. As your Papi says,  _ eso está en las cartas _ .”

“I love you,” Rafael said before leaning over to kiss her. 

“I love you, too,” Olivia replied when they pulled apart. “Now I want you to hold me while we watch our kids play for a while longer. Then we have to get them ready for the day and go over to your parents’ for the big family Christmas.”

Rafael chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her and held her close, pressing another kiss to her temple. “Yes,  _ mi amor _ .”


End file.
